Practical realities have often managed to elude me, especially when I find myself feeling pressured or in haste. I’d rather do the thing immediately and do it poorly, just to get it out of the way, than exercise the patience and prodigy required to do it later — after sufficient preparation — and do it well.

Case in point. I mentioned in this entry that I’d realized the next logical step in the process of preparing my musical for production. So, I boldly walked into the School of Music to inquire randomly as to the availability of certain singers who would learn some of my music and assist me in recording a demo that I can present to prospective producers.

I carried no score with me. I didn’t even have a printed out copy of my script. I brought no items with me that could prove myself in any sense. Fortunately for me, it turned out to be Spring Break, and nobody was in the building. The office was closed and dark. I prepared myself to leave, when unexpectedly a man stepped out of the dark office.

Introducing and explaining myself briefly, I found the man to be very cordial. He pointed me to the particular professor to whom I should address my inquiry. I looked into the professor’s credits, was mildly intimidated, took note of his office hours, and determined I would return when school was in session.

Good thing I didn’t. It suddenly just struck me – wouldn’t it be far better if I showed up with a hard copy of the script and at least three of the songs printed out? That would show him not only that I’m serious, but he’d have a chance to check out the manner in which the piano-vocal score had been prepared. He’d realize at that moment that I know what I’m doing – at least in terms of creating a legible, functional musical score is concerned. So that would help, right there. Anybody can say they wrote a musical. To show up with neatly written music for the singers to sing would work much more to my advantage.

What I’m hoping is that some students needing a Senior Project might eagerly learn my music for a grade. This was in fact suggested in a blogger’s commenta while back. It’s crossed my mind since then that singing students in search of a good grade might actually do an even better job than more-or-less mercenary professional singers I might have hired who would be more likely to do it just for money. While it is totally against my nature to present myself as someone whose music might be worth a non-paid rehearsal or two, I think that to carry the actual music with me will no doubt work in my favor.

So – time to score about three songs. That’s about the minimum, I think, to demonstrate the score. If they ask where the rest of the score is, I can tell them I’ll come up with it if I know for sure they’re interested. Who knows? Maybe I could get a mild commission to notate the rest of the score. After all, it’s no small task. The last time I wrote a musical score without commission, it’s done nothing but sit on my shelf for the past ten years. Check it out:

Whether you know much about music or not, anybody can see that it obviously took a bit of effort to produce that 242-page piano-vocal score. It’s not the kind of task I’m eager to repeat unless there’s a good reason for going about it. In fact, even trying to score three of those numbers could throw me back into serious isolation. I don’t want to go there.

Well – the wheels still spin. Necessity is the mother of invention. Perhaps there is an easier, softer way . . .

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Post navigation

4 thoughts on “Patience and Prodigy”

Sounds like a good plan you’ve made re the school of music and to set your limits too, over the scores. I took a look at your Burden of Eden score. I only have vestigial remains of reading music from way back when I played the piano, but I can see what a work it is!

People have no idea unless they do all the components like yourself. But yes, bring it to life if you can with some singers – good going, and good for you to hear it come alive. (And I can relate to your spur of the moment going into the school to ‘get it over with’! but not being prepared).

Hey Lynne – thanks for your support, and in particular for taking a look at my score. I should really take a look at it myself again – I’ve let that whole project sit as time has passed and its themes have ceased to resonate with me. But it will also help for me to look it over for technical reasons, since I’m having to write a piano-vocal score again now, and I’m more than a bit rusty. I did choose three songs to spotlight, so I’ll work on those first. One step at a time!